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Old 07-16-2009, 09:16 PM
Amanda S.'s Avatar
Amanda S. Amanda S. is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: TN
Posts: 177
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Yes, I agree that we should certainly love the brethren. The Bible is very clear on that.

However, I am still not convinced that God "loves" the wicked, at least not in the way we think of love.

Quote:
Psalm 11:5 The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.
6 Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.
7 For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.
If the Lord loveth righteousness, then He would hate unrighteousness. In this same passage it says He hates the wicked. There are so many more verses that state the Lord abhors, hates, laughs at the wicked etc...

Quote:
Proverbs 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
Quote:
James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
I know you all are not ignorant to these passages. But I am wary of passing over this Scripture and excusing it away dispensationally.

Consider what Matthew Henry says:

Quote:
“He is a holy God, and therefore HATES THEM (the sinner), and cannot endure to look upon them; the wicked, and him that loveth violence, HIS SOUL HATETH... Their pros-perity is far from being an evidence of God’s love...their abuse of it does certainly make them objects of HIS HATRED. He hates nothing that He has made, yet HATES THOSE who have ill-made themselves.”
Again, just some thoughts. I am not coming down dogmatically on either side...not yet anyway